‘I was bitten saving my dog’

A POSTWOMAN was bitten by a Staffordshire bull terrier as she fought to save her pet dog while making her rounds in Woodvale.

The attack happened while Linda Birrell, 45, of Lilac Avenue, was delivering mail to homes in Rose Crescent.

Linda was terrified when a dog, she claims is a rescued fighting Staffordshire bull terrier, broke its leash and mauled her Jack Russell cross

She said: “I went on my rounds as normal and I saw my little dog Jetty on the other side of the road, she must have escaped out of a gap in the garden fence and came looking for me.

“I heard barking and then this Staffordshire bull terrier came belting towards me, it seemed to come from nowhere.

“It grabbed my dog from behind and was ragging her, it just wouldn’t let go, I was shouting for help.”

The dog sank its teeth into the grandmother-of-one’s wrist and left her needing antibiotics.

Linda, who has worked for Royal Mail for seven years, said: “The owner came running over and had to sit on the dog to restrain it. Jetty needed stitches in her stomach and had her tail bitten. If I hadn’t have been there she would’ve been killed.

“If it had been a child walking their dog it could have been so much worse. There’s 56 kids in that road and some of them have puppies. I’m terrified it could happen again.”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “As a caring and responsible employer, Royal Mail takes very seriously the safety of its employees – particularly our frontline postmen and women who deliver the mail.

“Unfortunately, dog attacks are a hazard faced by our employees – but our main aim is to prevent attacks. We have an on-going campaign to raise awareness of the issue among our customers.

“We look for the co-operation of our customers and we encourage the public to take responsibility for keeping their pets under control. For example, we advise them to keep their pets indoors at the time of mail deliveries.”

The attack took place on April 14, the same day as a Birkdale boy of six was mauled by four Staffordshire bull terriers at a friend’s house.

His heartbroken family told the Southport Visiter they were devastated the dogs had not been destroyed because they were not an illegal breed and the attack occurred on private property.

The MP said: “I find it worrying as behind every serious incident there is a history often of minor episodes.

“I’ve delivered leaflets to houses in all areas and a barking dog is nothing new but what we are witnessing in some areas is a cultivation, almost a glamorisation and re-birth of the dangerous dog culture.

“It’s something we now need to see as a priority for monitoring and control.”